In fact, no back has even finished top-two in consecutive years, and only Adrian Peterson (second in 2009 and 2015; first in 2012) and Le'Veon Bell (first in 2014; second in 2017) have even had more than one top-two year in a decade. He has six 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl nominations with the Eagles and Bills during the 2010s. From 1974 to 1979, Harris topped the 1,000-yard milestone every season and carried the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories. Sidney Thornton: Another stout running back for Pittsburgh was the bullish Thornton who weighed in at 230 pounds during his play days in Pittsburgh from 1977 to 1982. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? While those numbers may not seem impressive by todays standards, they were good enough to earn Tracy Pro Bowl appearances with the Steelers in 1958 and 1960. Unfortunately, his tenure with the Steelers came to a dramatic end with a contract dispute in 2018, but during his time with the team, he was one of the greatest. Emailed daily. He was also an excellent receiver, both out of the backfield and split out as a wide receiver. Parker had a shot to lead the NFL in rushing in 2007, but he broke his leg in the regular season's penultimate game and finished with 1,316 yards. In 2012, he made the All-Pro team with 1,590 rushing yards and 1,786 yards from scrimmage. He finished his career in Pittsburgh with 3,115 rushing yards, 241 receptions, and 34 total touchdowns. Postseason. 2. In 27 games Hunt has 2,151 rushing yards, 2,984 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns. It was a hard task to actually rank all of the great running backs . In nine seasons all as a Steeler, Pollard scored 20 touchdowns. Franco Harris is not only the best Steelers running back in franchise history, but one of the greatest Steelers of all time. Bill Dudley: Bullet Bill was his nickname and a great running back he was. It's an inspiring story, but if Bleier wasn't one of the best running backs in Steelers' history, he wouldn't have made this list. Vote below for who you think is the best Pittsburgh Steelers tight end of all time, then head over and check out the top Pittsburgh Steelers players ever. It was thought by the Steelers coaching staff and fans alike that Pittsburgh had found their new star running back. Still, Johnson's All-Pro 2016 season was enough to land him on the list. But from 2015-16, he posted more than 1,000 rushing yards, 1,500 yards from scrimmage and at least 13 touchdowns each season. Drafted in the third round by the Steelers, Zereoue would play from 1999 to 2003 in Black and Gold before finishing his career in Oakland for one season and another in New England. In 2007, Fuqua created a candy and marketed it as The Immaculate Confection. But aside from that 1972 playoff game with the Oakland Raiders, Fuqua could be seen off the field wearing the flashiest of clothes that included shoes with see-through heals and live fish in them. More like he will get exposed yet again as being the most overrated running back in the league . Bell made three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams as a Steeler. Pittsburgh Steelers player information and depth chart order. Draft Henry with absolute confidence this season if you have a top-five pick. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Buffalo 2007-10; Seattle 2010-15, '19; Oakland 2017-18. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchise's history. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times . After five seasons of never finishing higher than RB34, Williams had a career year in 2022, finishing as the overall RB18. When a running back like Jerome Bettis, Franco Harris, or John Henry Johnson tramples linebackers and safeties all game, it grinds opponents down and destroys their will to compete. With teams shifting more to the passing game, these old-school running backs are becoming obsolete. Who the heck is this guy, we all wondered aloud, but in much more colorful language. Perhaps one of the most popular and beloved Steelers players of all-time, Bleier became famous before he ever established himself as Franco Harriss partner in crime based on his experiences in the Vietnam War. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. As a Steeler, Bettis crashed his way for 10,571 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both second-best in team history. What those teams dont have is a legacy of bullying and dominating opponents, and that is what brought the Steelers six Super Bowl championships. Player ratings with position rankings. does st martin parish have school tomorrow. Born in the Ivory Coast, Zereoue played his high school football in Long Island, New York and then went on to be a star running back for the Mountaineers. Prior to being drafted by the Army for service, Bleier was a University of Notre Dame product graduating in 1968 earning a degree in Business Management. [5] Through 2021, eight Steeler first-round picks have gone on to have playing careers deemed worthy of enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Bill Dudley, Len Dawson, Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, Rod Woodson, Troy Polamalu, and Alan . Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. During the decade, he has posted 9,187 yards five 1,000-yard seasons and 56 touchdowns. When running the ball, they often do so out of one-back sets and shotgun and pistol formations. This is a list of National Football League running backs by total career rushing yards, and includes the 31 running backs who have rushed for at least 10,000 yards, for which sixteen of them have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Since there are only 11 players on offense, the running backs have to be able to function as a unit, and Le'Veon Bell could play halfback to Bettis' fullback. Bleier was an outstanding lead blocker as well as being able to run the ball well and also had solid hands as a receiver. Williams led the NFL in touchdowns last season with 17. Overall, Foster registered 6,270 rushing yards and 8,523 yards from scrimmage playing for the Texans and Dolphins from 2010-16. In addition, he got 52 receiving yards, with an average of 10.4. Today, Johnson is one of the former Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's rushed for only 2,599 yards this decade, but everyone knows he's far more than just a running back. Photos from the career of former Steelers running back and Hall of Fame finalist Jerome Bettis. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. It's hard to believe, but the second decade of the 21st century is nearly complete. In 1966 when the Fighting Irish won the national title, Rocky was a member of that team. The top photos of RB Le'Veon Bell throughout 2014 season. And that's with missing the 2016 season because of retirement. Dudley also scored on a lateraled pass and has kicked point-after-touchdowns as well as making successful field goals. Pittsburgh Steelers Stats: The official source for Pittsburgh Steelers game statistics . Bleier starred in Super Bowl XIII with a touchdown reception and a recovered onside kick to seal Pittsburghs third NFL title. Injuries hurt Foster later in his career, but he did record 1,246 rushing yards in 2014. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2016, the last of which with the Titans. But following the Super Bowl Morris was arrested for trafficking marijuana and the Steelers wanted nothing to do with his off-the-field problems and released him. All Rights Reserved. Doctors had told him following the enemy attack that his football days were over. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Over the past six years, he has covered the NFL, NHL, MLB, fantasy sports, college football and basketball, and New Jersey high school sports for numerous print and online publications. The power running back is a dying breed in football. A bullet pierced his left thigh in Vietnam and further injuries occurred when a grenade exploded near him putting shrapnel in his lower right leg. Joey Porter. He finished with 585 yards and scored six touchdowns including a 75-yard run. It wasn't too long ago that Freeman was regarded as a top-five back in the league. Fuqua would have to be the most colorful player in Steelers history as well as the most controversial. But Harris and the Steelers' rushing attack were just getting started. As a Steeler running back, Hoak would spend his entire career with Pittsburgh that began in 1961 as a seventh round draft pick after running for the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . Today, with the explosion of the passing game, a star running back is a helpful asset but no longer a requirement. Jerome Bettis is the latest Steelers running back to become a member in Canton, Ohio. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. No NFL team has enjoyed the consistent level of success the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. Najee Harris warming to Steelers' running back-by-committee approach. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have had three coaches, and each has used a different style of offense. The speedy running backs, the classic old power running back, and the mixed, well-rounded, good running back. The 32-year-old has yet to post a 1,000-yard season this decade, and judging by the fact he had only six rushing attempt last season, he's probably going to end the 2010s without one. Playing players out of position in mut will make there overall go down now. To prepare, we at Chargers Wire are previewing players from every position. He came to the Steelers after three seasons with the Rams which had earned him a reputation as a problem player. On a better team, Jones-Drew may have been able to flourish for longer than three seasons, but from 2009-11, he was one of the best backs in the league. Foster's 1,690 yards set a team record that season and earned him Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations. By 1995, Foster was out of Pittsburgh and out of the NFL, thus ending his short, dramatic, and bizarre pro football career. Overall, he ran for 4,731 yards and 28 touchdowns playing for the Rams, Falcons and Patriots from 2010-15. Harris played 980 offensive snaps during the regular season . He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is . He'll go down as one of the best power backs in history, and in this decade Lynch has carried the ball 1,791 times for 7,778 yards. In 1944 he led Army to an undefeated record with 12 victories and was named the teams Most Valuable Player. Foster timed his career perfectly for this list, breaking out with 1,616 yards, leading the league in rushing, in 2010. Mendenhall provided the following reason for retiring so young: Football was pretty cool, but I dont want to play anymore. It is unfortunate, and I would guess I am not alone in wishing the Steelers would return to their roots and play power football again. In both seasons, he made All-Pro. In the I-formation, the fullback lines up behind the quarterback, and the halfback (tailback) lines up behind the fullback. 2022 AFC North Standings. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Bleier was injured during his tour of duty and told he would never play football again, but he returned to the Steelers and fought his way back into football shape, eventually playing 10 more seasons in the NFL. In many ways, this style of offense is the polar opposite of the methods the Steelers used to win six Super Bowls. Mendenhall spent five seasons in Pittsburgh and was a member of two Super Bowl teams. Included are player stats for the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1945-2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1940-1942 and the Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) from 1933-1939. Advertisement In some form or fashion, the Steelers will need to add quality depth to . 3 in NFL history. LeVeon Bell made his mark with the Steelers running in this kind of offense. His best season came in 2015, which was the year after Williams departed, when he rushed for 989 yards and six touchdowns for the 15-1 Panthers. Included are players that played for the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1945-2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1940-1942 and the Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) from 1933-1939. However, it's not too early to break down the best from the 2010s either. 1. Murray rushed for 7,174 yards and 49 touchdowns with the Cowboys, Eagles and Titans in the 2010s. Morris signed with Baltimore Ravens where he lasted just two seasons before the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs took a chance on him in 1998. 10 on the Steelers' all-time rushing list with 3,549 yards. As a Steeler running back, Hoak would spend his entire career with Pittsburgh that began in 1961 as a seventh round draft pick after running for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He also had three catches in that loss for 18 yards. From '61 to '64, he was part of a powerful rushing attack along with Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson. In 2006 he tried to make a comeback in the Arena Football League and the National Indoor Football League but that last just part of one season. Williams didn't post a 1,000-yard season in this decade mostly due to the fact he shared the backfield with another player on our list. His professional career started in 2007 when he decided to skip the last year of college and enter the NFL Draft. 4M; . Harris is my fourth-ranked running back for the 2022 season. After a slow start (for a seventh overall draft pick from . 12. Le'Veon Bell was one of the best Steelers running backs of all time. Le'veon Bell also earned a reputation as one of the most patient RBs in the NFL. Abercrombie played one more season in 1988 with the cross state Philadelphia Eagles before retiring. Dudley owns 44 touchdowns to his credit. He is currently a free agent and the third oldest running back in the NFL, as well as the second oldest active running back. In the previous nine years, however, the Steelers had a top-15 player seven times. LISTEN: Hounds, world soccer, PGA with Mike Grau, Steelers: Need for QB of the Future is More Apparent than Ever, Steelers: Defense Needs to Take Advantage of Inconsistent Bills Passing Attack, Steelers: Devlin Hodges Has Chance to Make Lasting Impression in Week 14, Steelers: James Washingtons Emergence Could Make Offense Dangerous. Eight players have been recognized as having held the career rushing yards record in the NFL. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . Parker ran for 1,200 yards or better in three straight seasons and led the Steelers to two Super Bowl wins. In three of his four NFL seasons, Gurley has rushed for more than 1,100 yards and at least 10 touchdowns. Read on to find out why. Today's NFL teams do not use fullbacks as often as they once did, instead favoring spread offenses and dynamic passing attacks featuring three or more wide receivers and multiple tight ends. Time to profile some of the outstanding and popular running backs to suit up for the Steelers. Fuqua led the Steelers in rushing in 1970 and 1971 and totaled 2,942 yards on the ground during his time in Pittsburgh. All of that, plus the fact Bettis averaged over 1,000 yards per season with the Steelers (10,571) and scored 78 touchdowns, puts him on the All-Modern Era team, and his partner in the backfield is Le'Veon Bell. This list of past Steelers tight ends features former greats, current impact players, and even future stars. Born Byron Morris, drafted in the third round of the 1994 draft, Morris immediately made an impact with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming to them from Texas Tech University. (Note: The Steelers signed Derek Watt during the 2020 offseason and released Nix, who signed with Indianapolis. His teammate Terry Hanratty, the QB at Notre Dame during that tenure became a Steeler as well. One return went to the house. All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . This list of past Steelers tight ends features former greats, current impact players, and even future stars. He's been named All-Pro and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns during each of the last two years too. This led to fans chanting Hey Diddle Diddle, Rogel Up the Middle. There was just one occasion that the Steelers failed to use Rogel on the games first play. Quite a contrast to kick off this list. By 1974, Bleier was weighing in at 212 pounds and he made the team to stay. As a Steeler, Famous Amos ran the ball 434 times for 1,698 yards and was a powerful running back at 205 pounds on a 58 frame. The Best Pittsburgh Steelers Tight Ends Of All Time, Vote up the players who had the most success playing tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1980, Thornton would average five yards-per-carry while carrying the rock 78 times. Who Is The Best Running Back In The NFL Right Now? Fuqua was not an original Steelers having been drafted by the New York Giants and then traded to Pittsburgh. Cameron Heyward (2011), T.J. Watt (2017), Terrell Edmunds (2018), Devin Bush Jr. (2019), and Najee Harris (2022) are the five remaining first-rounders still on the Steelers roster. Harris was a part of four championship team and would be named to the Pro Bowl nine times. Seasons: 90 (1933 to 2022) Record (W-L-T): 666-585-23 Playoff Record: 36-27 Super Bowls Won: 6 (8 Appearances) Championships Won *: 6 . He sill holds the single season record for rushing for Pittsburgh with 1,690 yards gained in 1992. He caught 57 passes for 338 yards as well. Still young at 38 years of age, Zereoue stays in shape these days by playing soccer for a New York amateur club called the Central Park Rangers FC. The running back ran for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns on 307 carries, and caught 74 passes for 467 yards and three touchdowns. It is tough to guess what the future holds for Connor in the NFL. Charles may have to wait awhile to get into the Hall of Fame because despite an 11-year career, his prime was rather short. 20 and retired with that number despite the departure of Pearson to Dallas. The days of Jim Brown or John Riggins getting 40 carries a game are gone. During the decade, he has 8,834 rushing yards five 1,000-yard seasons and 71 touchdowns. It worked perfectly with the maulers he had in front of him in Pittsburgh as he has some Xbox like highlight reels to show for it. Franco Harris gets most of the credit for that infamous incident, but Terry Bradshaws passing attempt on that play was originally intended for Fuqua who was decleated by Jack Tatum. He'll get the chance to continue his career with the Browns, but he'll miss the first eight games of 2019 because of a suspension. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. Who should be on top of the Steelers NFL Free Agency board? OTHERS TO CONSIDER Starting this list chronologically is as good a way as any. Today he is 68 and still colorful. There was a time when almost every NFL offense was predicated on a feature back that got most of the carries and earned a big paycheck. Lynch was an underrated pass-catcher in his prime too. MORE: 2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. NAME GP RUSH YDS ATT YPC RUSH YDS/G RUSH TD REC YDS REC TRG AVG REC YDS/G REC TD; Felix Jones: 16: 184: 48: 3.8: 11.5: 0: 63: 9: 13: 7.0: 3.9: 0: Isaac Redman: 3: 12: 10: 1.2 . But since then he has a pair of 1,000-yard rushing years and 4,545 yards on the ground in five years. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him over the last couple of years and prevented him from running for more than 865 yards in a season. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. But during the Super Bowl seasons of 1978 and 1979, Sidney Thornton played a significant role in the Steelers' rushing attack. The Pittsburgh Steelers Hall-of-Fame running back Franco Harris died Wednesday, just before the 50-year anniversary of his "Immaculate Reception" play. Dickerson was traded mid-season in 1987; he played three games for the Rams and nine for the Colts. Find out more. He holds the team record for most rushing yards in a career (11,950) as well as most rushing touchdowns (91) and total touchdowns (100). 1, Pittsburgh didn't have a top-25 running back. Charles also ran for 1,509 yards in 2012 and 1,033 yards in 2014. Hoak made a Pro Bowl in 1968 and is currently ranked seventh in Steelers' history for all-time rushing yards with 3,965. Bettis was team-first through some questionable demotions and worse decisions as to the direction of the offense, and he welcomed Duce Staley and mentored Willie Parker along the way to a Super Bowl championship to complete a quest his teammates had dedicated to him. Other teams (like the Steelers) have one but rarely use him. The 33rd Team. He amassed an incredible 449 touches in 2014 on his way to 1,845 rushing yards and 2,261 yards from scrimmage. Frank Pollard: In the mid-1980s, a stout Frank Pollard became the Steelers primary running back. The 2016 All-Pro had his own issue staying on the field because of a suspension in 2017, but despite that Elliott has 4,048 rushing yards and led the league in rushing twice in three years. Join our linker program. He ended his career with only 1,512 rushing yards, but with two Super Bowl rings. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Anderson was traded mid-season in 1986; he played four games for the Cardinals and eight for the Giants. During this decade, he earned two Pro Bowl nominations and an All-Pro bid. He would eventually become the feature back, but in 2009 he suffered Jack Lamberts injury, turf toe and was replaced by Rashard Mendenhall in the process. Jackson never led the league in rushing and never made the All-Pro team. While that trio may be the best-best-of-the best to run behind Pittsburghs all-time offensive lines, there have been more than a handful of outstanding running backs for Pittsburgh since they began play in 1933. But you cant throw just any ball carrier out there and hope to have success; it takes a certain kind of player to fit into a power running offensive scheme. Murray is another back who put together three strong seasons during his career and led the league in rushing once. The next ingredient is a tough, hard-nosed rushing attack that controls the ball and methodically plows through opposing defenses. Insider insists Tom Brady could sign with 49ers in 2023, The 'Most recent first-round NFL quarterbacks' quiz, Seven Cubs pitchers combine for spring no-hitter vs. Padres, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones comments on Tony Pollard rumor, Ben Simmons suffers back injury while rehabilitating, Insider: It's Packers, Jets 'or bust' for Aaron Rodgers, QB Anthony Richardson doesn't understand his 'project' label, Vikings HC reveals 'crazy' thoughts about star WR, XFL player released for giving another team plays from own playbook. As the tight end position increasingly becomes more of a focal point in offensive schemes , one. The only exception in madden 22 was a glitched out ray Lewis that was 97 at mlb but 99 at r/lolb. He started alongside Franco Harris in four Super Bowl victories and both backs ran for over 1,000 yards in 1976. But he stayed. Ranking the AFC North running backs. Gurley has rushed for 4,547 rushing yards and recorded 6,430 yards from scrimmage with 56 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Myles Jack's cap hit grows significantly from $4.75 million last year to $11.25 million in 2023. TODAY: Running backs. He led the Steelers in rushing in 1965, 1968, and 1969. His 6-foot-2, 230 pound frame made it virtually impossible for one defender to take him down. The mid-'80s were a tough time for Steeler Nation. Until recently, the fullback was an important player in the Steelers' offense. PITTSBURGH (AP) Mike Tomlin wasn't ready to go there, with all due respect. No matter what happens with the evolution of this position, these Pittsburgh tight ends have left a legacy for this that cant be taken away. Damien Harris (New England Patriots) The 2021 season will only be Damien Harris' second full season with the Patriots as a running back, but he's shown his level of skill. James Conner was thrust into the spotlight in 2018 when halfback LeVeon Bell held out for the entire season. 2013 Steelers 2014 Steelers 2015 Steelers 2016 Steelers 2017 Steelers 2018 Steelers 2019 Steelers 2020 Steelers 2021 Steelers 2022 Steelers 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 8-8 11-5 10-6 11-5 13-3 9-6-1 8-8 12-4 9-7-1 9-8. In 79 games with the Steelers, he carried the ball for 3,343 yards and 22 touchdowns. Hunt offers some stability in the pass-game as he had 44 . How an 8-year-old inspired Najee Harris' 5-TD performance vs. Ole Miss. The Steelers will win 5 games this year, Canada will be fired, and Tomlin will "resign." . Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . Conner responded with a Pro Bowl performance and gave Steeler Nation hope that hed become the next great Pittsburgh running back.
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